I
20 .00
IN MET R MANILAO
VOL. XXXVIII • NO. 233 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES OCTOBER 6, 2024
IT’S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE XMAS. Lantern makers start mass
N
S
I
D
E
GOV’T NOT YET RAISING ALERT LEVEL IN LEBANON NEWS | A3
producing colorful parol at the Central Market in Manila. Lino Santos
BIDEN WARNS ISRAEL OF IRAN OIL STRIKES WORLD | A4
www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com
DA SEES FURTHER DROP IN FOOD PRICES IN OCT. NEWS | A2
COMELEC TO RULE ON GUO’S CASE BEFORE OCT. 30 By Maricel V. Cruz and Pot Chavez
PNP IDENTIFIES POSSIBLE POLL AREAS OF CONCERN COMELEC TO VALIDATE LIST OF LIKELY ELECTION HOTSPOTS
T
HE Commission on Elections is now validating a list of potential hotspots for the 2025 midterm polls submitted by the Philippine National Police. “The list will undergo validation by the joint security council headed by Comelec, which is empowered to declare election areas of concern,” PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said in a radio interview on Saturday. “Definitely those that have vali-
dated election-related incidents are part of the list under the yellow category,” she said. Other parameters being considered, Fajardo said, include intense political rivalry and the presence of private armed groups. Fajardo, however, said the PNP will
not yet release figures this early. “The purpose of the validation is also to determine how many police would be fielded in areas of concern, and how many areas will be put under Comelec control,” Fajardo said. In the 2022 presidential elections, Comelec placed 104 municipalities and 14 cities under the red category or areas of great concern, previously called election hotspots. Areas tagged as green have no problem and no cause for concern while those tagged as yellow have
a history of political unrest. Areas placed under the orange category are those where armed groups are present. The PNP earlier said it is looking to implement the gun ban earlier to thwart election-related violence in the 2025 polls. The gun ban may only be implemented during the campaign period, set to begin on January 12, 2025, but Comelec said it will “seriously consider” adjusting the implementation period. The gun ban also covers controlled chemicals and explosives.
2025 HOPEFULS.
(Clockwise) Former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo files her certificate of candidacy to formalize her re-election bid; former senator Leila de Lima files her certificate of nomination and acceptance as first nominee of the Mamamayang Liberal party-list; former vice president Leni Robredo files her COC for mayor of Naga City; Makati 2nd District Rep. Luis Campos Jr. also filed his COC for the city’s top local post; and broadcaster Ben Tulfo officially joins the senatorial race as an independent candidate. Norman Cruz
EX-PRESIDENT GMA, EX-VP LENI JOIN FRAY ON 5TH DAY OF COC FILING By Ratziel San Juan, Vito Barcelo and Joel Zurbano THE Commission on Elections on Saturday said 70 senatorial aspirants have filed their certificates of candidacy (COC) while 73 party lists-have submitted their certificates of nomination and acceptance (CONA) since the start of filing for the 2025 midterm elections. On the fifth day of fling, 12 senatorial aspirants and 23 party lists formalized their bid for the upcoming polls. Comelec Chair George Garcia said in a press conference the
poll body is expecting a large number of pending applicants as it awaits 160 party-list groups, organizations, and political parties to file their CONAs. Former President and incumbent Pampanga 2nd District Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo filed her COC to formalize her reelection bid. Arroyo, who is running under Lakas-CMD where she is the chairman emeritus, said she is “committed to addressing the needs and priorities of my constituency and the province of Pampanga.” Former Vice President Leni Ro-
manilastandard.net
@ManilaStandardPH
bredo, on the other hand, filed her COC for Naga City mayor. “I’ve tried legislative work, I’ve tried the executive branch, and I’m sure that – first, I’m better suited for an executive position, and second, community work is truly my passion, which is the essence of being a mayor,” Robredo said. For his part, veteran broadcaster Ben Tulfo joined his brother Erwin in running for senator in the midterm race. Should the two of them win, there will be three Tulfo brothers in the Upper Chamber, together with Senator Raffy Tulfo.
@mnlstandardph
@manilastandard
Former Justice secretary and ex-senator Leila De Lima is also making a comeback in the political arena as Mamamayang Liberal party-list’s first nominee. Makati 2nd District Rep. Luis Campos Jr. also filed his COC for the city’s top local post in the upcoming midterm elections, directly going against his sister-in-law, Senator Nancy Binay who is seeking the same post next year. Campos, who is in his third and last term as congressman, is running with incumbent 1st District Rep. Romulo Peña Jr. as his vice mayor.
@ManilaStandardYT
THE Commission on Elections will release its final ruling on the misrepresentation complaint against dismissed Bamban mayor Alice Guo before Oct. 30. “Before Oct. 30, we will have a recommendation, not just on Guo but on the other cases pending,” Comelec chairman George Erwin Garcia said. The Office of the Ombudsman earlier submitted its decision to perpetually disqualify Guo from holding public office to Comelec. Garcia said a candidate can be removed if one is declared a nuisance candidate; is facing a complaint of misrepresentation, or is ordered by the Ombudsman to be perpetually disqualified from holding public office. “The third one is most crucial for us. Even if a case is pending before another court, the Comelec can always implement and execute a decision of the Office of the Ombudsman,” he said. “As far as the Comelec is concerned, we will enforce or implement the Ombudsman’s decision,” he added. Calls have snowballed for Comelec to bar Guo, also known as Guo Hua Ping, from running for public office. “This is yet another brazen attempt to undermine the country’s laws. I strongly urge the Comelec to immediately enforce the necessary legal measures to disqualify her from seeking public office,” Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said. Senator Risa Hontiveros said Guo will be committing perjury if she declares that she is Filipino in her certificate of candidacy. “The COC is an important document executed under oath. If Guo Hua Ping will insist on her lie, perjury will be added to the list of crimes where she is involved,” Hontiveros added. Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong also denounced Guo’s declaration of her intention to run for Bamban mayor. “Allowing her candidacy would not only be a mockery of the law but also an insult to the Filipino electorate. We have seen candidates disqualified as nuisance candidates for far less—for having similar names to incumbents or lacking the resources to run a viable campaign. Guo Hua Ping’s deceitful background and foreign ties represent a far greater threat to the integrity of our elections,” Adiong said. “We cannot afford to allow our electoral system to be manipulated by individuals with questionable motives and shadowy pasts. The people of Bamban, Tarlac deserve better, and so does our country,” he added. For his part, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said the National Prosecution Service (NPS) will seize the opportunity to go “all-out” in prosecuting Guo and her co-respondents in the qualified human trafficking case lodged against them. “[The Department of Foreign Affairs] (DFA)’s decisive call to revoke the passport of Guo undoubtedly opened the doors to justice, this marks the beginning of a relentless pursuit to ensure accountability and uphold the rule of law,” Remulla said. “(We will) prosecute this case to the fullest until justice is served,” he added.
Missed your copy of Manila Standard? Call or text our Circulation Hotline at 0917-8848655 or email: circulation@manilastandard.net . For advertisement: email: advertise@manilastandard.net •09173382170 / 85646229